Clamp for concrete form work



June 2, 1936. E 'P MUNTZ 2,042,955

CLAMP FOR CONCRETE FORM WORK Filed April V25, 1955 *FinL TUILUETIL'UI' Emi: P TIlUrL[Z Patented June 2, 1936 PATENT OFFICE CLAMP FOR CONCRETE FORM WORK Eric Percival Muntz, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Application April 25, 1935, Serial No. 18,143

13 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in clamps for concrete form work, and the object of my invention is to design a clamp for attachment upon the tie rods which I use for retaining form panel and other cribbing structures against ymovement, as illustrated and described in my United States Patent No. 1,991,256.

The .object of my present invention is to provide a clamp which is particularly designed for use upon rods of a relatively small diameter7 i. e. in the vicinity of a quarter of an inch, the rods or wire being made of carbon steel of high tensional strength.

A further and very particular object of my invention is to furnish a clamp of a simple and strong construction, that will withstand rough handling, severestrain, and repeated use without impairment of its clamping eiiciency.

Another object` of my invention is to only use two movable jaws in the clamp, and for the ready insertion of rod into the clamp, to provide a rubber jaw engaging member for resiliently retaining the jaws in a spaced apart position.

A still further object of my invention is to slidably position each jaw in its own housing, and to draw the two housings together for clamping the jaws upon a rod.

With these and other objects in View, my invention further consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts all as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:- H Figure l is a vertical cross-sectional View through a pair yoi walings and a fragmentary portion of a form panel, showing a tie rod extending `through the form panel and between the walings, together with my clamp positioned upon the outer end of the rod and abutting the outer faces ofV the walings. a

AFigure 2 is a front elevational view of my clamp, the rod having been removed.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional View through the clamp, taken through the line 3 3,

clamp is used for drawing the clamp housings together in lieu of the two bolts shown in the other construction.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the diiferent views of the drawing.

The clamp housing is comprised of two members of substantially the same form and size, and each member contains one of the two jaws. The members each consist of a back plate I and corresponding ribs 2 protruding forwardly from the outer faces of the back plates intermediately of their height. The ribs 2 are substantially parallel, and the housing members are connected by a pair of draw bolts 3 extending through a pair of orices 4 in each of the ribs.

The upper rib 2 in its bottom face and the lower rib 2 in its top face are each formed with a substantially centrally positioned inclined jaw supporting member 5, wherein the inclined faces 6 of such members converge rearwardly. The outer edges of the ribs each carry a pair of lugs 'I and 8, the lugs on the top rib extending downwardly, and the lugs on the bottom rib extending upwardly. The lugs 1 and 8 are parallel and spaced apart to form slots 9 and the lugs 'I are of greater length than the lugs 8.

The two jaws I0 carried within the housings are of truncated longitudinal wedge form and of rectangular cross section. The lower inclined faces I I of the jaws rest upon and have the same inclination as the inclined faces 6 of the jaw supporting members 5, so that the serrated faces I 2 of the jaws are parallel. The forward and thick ends of the jaws are formed with portions I 3 reduced in width to be slidably contained within the slots, the shoulders 3l) bearing against the inner faces of the lugs 1 and 8.

The jaws ID are shorter in length than the distances between the inner faces of the lugs 'I and 8 and the frontrfaces of the plates I, and a rubber cushion is interposed between the rear ends of the jaws and the front faces of the plates. The cushion is of a form as shown in Figure 6 and comprises a central portion I4 against which the rear end faces I5 of the jaws rest and having a central orifice I5 through which a contained tie rod can extend. The two vertical side portions I'I of the cushion are of increased thickness whereby shoulders I8 are formed and between which the ends of the jaws are held against side play. For retaining the serrated faces I2 of theA jaws in a spaced apart relationship, I furnish a pair of forwardly projecting rubber pads i9 in the vertical centre of the forward face of the portion I4 of the cushion. These lugs are spaced apart horizontally of the orice I6 and are sandwiched, in spaced apart relationship to one another, between the jaws.

Upon reference to Figure wherein a rear view of the clamp is shown, it will be seen that the opposing edges of the plates I are staggered about a central rod receiving orifice formed by the two substantially semi-circular indentations 2| in the centres of the plate edges. mally spaced apart sufliciently to permit them to approach one another without contact upon the bolts 3 being drawn up to tighten the clamp.

The operation of my clamp is as follows:-

In Figure 1, I show a pair of wales 22 normally positioned upon the outside of a form panel 23, and a tie rod 24 extending through an oriiice 25 in the panel and between the wales, with its outer end projecting beyond the wales. Before positioning the clamp upon the outer end of the rod, the bolts 3 of the clamp are loosened so that the jaws are pushed apart by the rubber lugs I9 and are also pushed to the forward end of the clamp housings by the portion I4 of the rubber cushion. The clamp is then positioned upon the rod, the rod being inserted between the plates I through the orice 20, through the cushion orice I6, between the serrated jaw faces I2, andV projecting between the lugs The clamp is pushed along the rod until the upper clamp plate I abuts the outer face of the top wale 22 and the lower clamp plate I abuts the outer face of the lower wale 22. The bo-lts 3 are then tightened up, the heads 26 of the bolts being held against rotation by the shoulder 2l forme-d on the lower plate I. Upon tightening of the bolts, the jaws, already moved to the limit of their spaced apart relationship by the rubber element, bite into and clamp the rod.

It'will be understood, upon reference to the Figure l, that any inward pull upon the rod will tend to move the jaws with the rod, and that any inwardr movement of the jaws upon their inclined supports 6 will cause the jawsto move towards one another and increase their grip upon the rod.

Furthermore as the bolts 3 are a loose fit in the orifices 4, the separated plates I abutting the separated wales V22 will under any inward pull of the rod have a tendency to mutually arch inwardly, so that the outer ends of the ribs 2 will slightly swing together and in so doing increase the grip of the jaws upon the rod. To release the clamp, it is only necessary to loosen the bolts 3. Y

In Figure 8, I show an alternative construction wherein I provide a ring clamp 23 surrounding the lugs 2 in place of the bolts 3, the bottom of the ring bearing against the bottom of the lower rib 2, and the screw 29 bearing against the top face of the upper rib 2. The tightening of the screw 29 draws the lugs 2 together.

Although I have illustrated and described my clamp as usedY in conjunction with tie rods for concrete form work, it will be appreciated that it can be put to other use without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like comprising a plurality of jaw housings moveable towards one another, a wedge-shaped jaw slidably contained in each housing, a rubber cushion bearing against the ends of the jaws and tending to slide and move them apart, wale engag- The plates are nor-Y ing back plates against which the rubber cushion bears, and means for simultaneously moving the housings and jaws towards one another into the clamping position.

2. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like 5 and having a rod-receiving orice exten-ding therethrough, a plurality of wedge-shaped jaws contained within the clamp about the rod receiving orifice, inclined faces in the clampv diverging from the rod orice and upon which the jaws 10 slidably rest, a rubber cushion having a rod engaging orifice therein and tending to slide the jaws apart along the faces, a Wale engaging back plate against which the Yrubber cushion bears, and. a clamping element acting transversely of the jaws and a contained rod for moving the jaws towards the rod.

3. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like and having a rod-receiving orifice extending therethrough, a plurality of wedge-shaped jaws contained within the clamp about the rod receiving orice, inclined faces in the clamp upon which the jaws slidably rest, resilient means contained between the jaws and retaining them against the inclined faces, resilient means tending to slide c the jaws along the faces, and a clamping element acting transversely of the jaws and a contained rod for moving the jaws towards the rod.

4. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like and having a rod-receiving orifice extending therethrough, a plurality of' wedgeshaped jaws contained within the clamp about the rod receiving orifice, inclined faces in the clamp upon which the jaws slidably rest, a rubber pad contained between the jaws and retaining them against the inclined faces, a rubber cushion contacting the ends of the jaws and tending to slide them along the faces, and a clamping element acting transversely of the jaws and a contained rod for moving the jaws towards the rod. 40-

5. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like comprising a plurality of jaw housings moveable independently of one another, a threaded clamping member engaging the housings for drawing them together, a wedge-shaped jaw slid-ably contained within each housing, an inclined face in each housing upon which a jaw slides, and a rubber cushion extending between the housings and contacting the ends of the jaws to slide them along the faces. 50

6. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like comprising a plurality of jaw housings moveable independently of one another, a threaded clamping member engaging the housings for drawing them together, a wedge-shaped jaw slidably contained within each housing, an inclined face in each housing upon which a jaw slides, a rubber cushion extending between the housings and contacting the ends of the jaws to slide them along the faces, and a rubber pad Contained between the jaws for retaining them against the inclined faces.

'7. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like and having a rod receiving orifice extending therethrough, and comprising a pair of wale Y abutting plates lying Substantially in the same plane,'a rib extending from the face of each plate, a bolt extending through orices in the ribs and positioned substantially parallel toI the plates,

an inclined face formed on the inner face of and having a rod-receiving orifice extendingtherethrough, and comprising a pair of wale abutting plates lying substantially in the same plane, a rib extending from the face of each plate, a bolt extending through orifices in the ribs and positioned substantially parallel to the plates, an inclined face formed on the inner face of each rib, a wedge-shaped jaw positioned upon each inclined face, a rubber pad contained between the jaws for retaining them apart and against the inclined faces, and a rubber cushion having a rod receiving orifice therein and extending between the ribs and contacting the ends of the jaws to slide them along the inclined faces.

9. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like and having a rod-receiving orifice extending therethrough a plurality of wedge-shaped jaws contained within the clamp about the rod receiving orifice, inclined faces in the clamp upon which the jaws slidably rest, resilient rubber means extending from jaw to jaw for retaining them apart and also tending to slide the jaws along the faces, and a clamping element acting transversely of the jaws for moving them towards each other.

10. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like comprising a pair of wale abutting plates lying substantially in the same plane, a rib extending from the face of each plate, an inclined face formed on the inner face of each rib, a wedge shaped jaw positioned on each inclined face, a pair of inwardly extending lugs carried upon the outer end of each rib to form guides for the reception of a rod through the clamp, and a clamping element acting transversely of the ribs, jaws and a contained rod for moving the jaws towards the rod.

11. A rod clamp as claimed in claim 10 wherein the wale abutting plates lie edge to edge, the opposed edges of the plates being formed with two indentations which together form a rod receiving orifice.

12. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like comprising a pair of wale abutting plates lying substantially in the same plane, a rib extending from the face of each plate, an inclined face formed on the inner face of each rib, a wedge shaped jaw positioned on each inclined face, a pair of inwardly extending lugs carried upon the outer end of each rib to form guides for the reception of a rod through the clamp, one rib of each pair being longer than the other and the longer rib of one pair being positioned oppositely to the shorter rib of the other pair whereby the space between the inner sides of the two long ribs constitutes a rod receiving orice, and a clamping element acting transversely of the ribs, jaws and a contained rod for moving the jaws towards the rod. l

13. A rod clamp for abutting wales and the like comprising a pair of wale abutting plates lying substantially in the same plane, a rib extending from the face of each plate, an inclined face formed on the inner face of each rib, a wedge shaped jaw positioned on each inclined face, a pair of inwardly extending lugs carried upon the outer end of each rib to form guides for the recepticn of a rod through the clamp, reduced forward ends upon the jaws slidably projecting into slots formed between the lugs, and a clamping element acting transversely of the ribs, jaws and a contained rod for moving the jaws towards the rod.

ERIC PERCIVAL MUNTZ. 

